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Peacock’s SHOOTING STARS Parents Guide Movie Review

Peacock‘s Shooting Stars is an inspiring story of friendship and family, but it fails to include anything dramatic. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.

Peacock's Shooting Stars Parents Guide

Peacock’s Shooting Stars was released on the streaming service today, Friday, June 2, 2023. The film centers around the early years of LeBron James basketball career, with a star cast that includes Marquis Mookie Cook (Lebron James), Wood Harris (Coach Dru Joyce II), Caleb McLaughlin (Lil Dru Joyce III), Avery Serell Wills Jr. (Willie McGee), Khalil Everage (Sian Cotton), Sterling Henderson (Romeo Travis), and Dermot Mulroney (Keith Dambrot). The movie is directed by Chris Robinson and is a basketball biopic fans won’t want to miss. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.

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Peacock’s Shooting Stars Movie Quotes

Peacock’s Shooting Stars Parents Guide

In Peacock’s Shooting Stars: Based on the book by LeBron James and the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger, Shooting Stars is the inspiring origin story of a basketball superhero, revealing how LeBron James and his childhood friends become the #1 high school team in the country, launching James’s breathtaking career as a four-time NBA Champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Peacock's Shooting Stars Parents Guide

Peacock’s Shooting Stars Age Rating Parents Guide

Let’s take a look at what parents need to know about the age rating of the movie before letting their younger children watch Peacock’s Shooting Star.

LanguagePeacock’s Shooting Star contains strong language, with profanity used throughout. Lookout words include one use of f*ck, b*tch, a**, sh*t, b*st*rd, the N-word, and phrases like “what the hell” and “g-d d*mn.”

Mature Content: The biggest concern for parents of young children is some of the suggestive material and adult themes. There are fights between friends and players that take place, which can be triggering for some viewers. Some of the young characters do not have a male parent in the household. Teens are shown drinking alcohol.

Age Rating of Peacock’s Shooting StarsPeacock’s Shooting Stars has a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association (MPAA ratings-official rating) for strong language, some suggestive references, and teen drinking, and the parental guidelines advisory recommends it for mature audiences, an adult audience, young adults, teens, and older kids aged 13 and older. The suggestion of parental guidance or a legal guardian (adult guardian) is highly suggested for young kids (young viewers) under 13 years of age in this PG-13-rated motion picture for adult material. The minimum age recommendation is 13 years old; it is not suitable for younger viewers.

Overall Thoughts

Peacock’s Shooting Stars is an interesting biopic of the early days of LeBron James basketball career, which fans of the player may already be aware of, but for the rest, it gives a closer look at the younger years of the star and where he started. While the focus of the film is on James, it delves into the lives of his four friends, who dubbed themselves the Fab Five, and how they played a major role in LeBron’s success. This message of unity, friendship, and being there for each other is a central theme throughout the film.

The entire ‘young’ cast of the film does a solid job of portraying the young versions of these basketball friends, with newcomer Marquis Mookie Cook playing LeBron next to other seasoned actors, each having their moment onscreen to shine and giving authentic and natural performances. Considering this is based on true events and real people, I am sure the young actors were coached on their characters, with many of the real-life individuals having small cameo roles in the film, which were highlighted at the end of the movie.

While Peacock’s Shooting Stars gives an intriguing, detailed story of the early days of LeBron’s basketball career and the friendships he formed, making him the standup man he is today, it definitely lacks in the dramatic sense. This isn’t to say there weren’t moments in the film that weren’t a bit drama-filled, but these scenes were anti-climatic due to a lack of build-up to them and the impact they had on the team.

Where the film excels is in its message and delivery of that message, one that centers on friendship and sticking together. LeBron James has always been one who shows a deep connection to his roots, coming from Akron, Ohio, and it comes as no surprise that he shines the light on those who had his back before he made it to the NBA. Shooting Stars is more than a biopic; it’s a “thank you” to everyone who supported LeBron before he was a household name.

Peacock's Shooting Stars Parents Guide